Noribogaine compositions

ABSTRACT

Disclosed are noribogaine compositions comprising a very high level of the 2(R), 4(S), 5(S), 6(S) and 18(R) enantiomer and not more than 0.5 wt % of ibogaine relative to the total amount of noribogaine.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/367,310, filed on Jul. 23, 2010 and U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/419,766, filed on Dec. 3, 2010, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to noribogaine compositions. In one embodiment, the noribogaine compositions comprise at least 95% of the noribogaine as the 2(R), 4(S), 5(S), 6(S) and 18(R) enantiomer and further wherein said compositions comprise not more than 0.5% by weight (or 0.5 wt %) ibogaine relative to the total amount of noribogaine. In another embodiment, said compositions comprise not more than 0.3 wt % ibogaine relative to the total amount of noribogaine. In another embodiment, said composition comprises no more than 0.1 wt % ibogaine relative to the total amount of noribogaine.

STATE OF THE ART

Noribogaine is a well known member of the ibogaine family of alkaloids and is sometimes referred to as 12-hydroxyibogaine. U.S. Pat. No. 2,813,873 claims noribogaine albeit as “12-O-demethylibogaine” while providing an incorrect structural formula for ibogaine. The structure of noribogaine has now been determined and found to combine the features of tyrptamine, tetrahydrohavaine and indolazepines. Noribogaine can be depicted by the following formula:

where the configuration at the 2, 4, 5, 6 and 18 atoms are 2(R), 4(S), 5(S), 6(S) and 18(R).

Noribogaine and its pharmaceutically acceptable salts have recently received significant attention as a non-addictive alkaloid useful in treating drug dependency (U.S. Pat. No. 6,348,456) and as a potent analgesic (U.S. Pat. No. 7,220,737). Both of these patents are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

Conventionally, noribogaine is prepared by O-demethylation of naturally occurring ibogaine:

which is isolated from Tabernanth iboga, a shrub of West Africa. Demethylation may be accomplished by conventional techniques such as by reaction with boron tribromide/methylene chloride at room temperature followed by conventional purification.

Ibogaine possesses hallucinogenic properties and is a Schedule 1-controlled substance in the USA. Accordingly, methods for preparing noribogaine from ibogaine require high levels of assurance that contamination with unacceptable amounts of ibogaine is avoided. However, noribogaine so prepared has not been reported as being substantially free of ibogaine (e.g., not more than 0.5 wt % relative to noribogaine). At best, U.S. Pat. No. 6,348,456 claims an essentially pure noribogaine compound but fails to disclose any methods for purification let alone what the phrase “essentially pure” encompassed or, for that matter, the level of ibogaine remaining in the composition. The synthesis of noribogaine from ibogaine was reported in U.S. Pat. No. 2,813,873. However, the '873 patent is also silent as to the purity of the noribogaine obtained in that synthetic process.

Accordingly, there is an ongoing need to provide a noribogaine which is enantiomerically enriched (greater than 95% of the 2(R), 4(S), 5(S), 6(S) and 18(R) enantiomer) and substantially free of ibogaine (e.g., not more than 0.5 wt % ibogaine relative to the amount of noribogaine).

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention provides noribogaine compositions which are enantiomerically enriched and substantially free of ibogaine. Such compositions provide a significant breakthrough in the treatment of addiction and/or pain as the compositions will not contain unacceptable amounts of ibogaine and are enantiomerically enriched.

In one of its composition aspects, this invention is directed to a composition comprising noribogaine wherein at least 95% of the noribogaine is present as the 2(R), 4(S), 5(S), 6(S) and 18(R) enantiomer and further wherein said composition comprises not more than 0.5 wt % ibogaine relative to the total amount of noribogaine.

In another of its composition aspects, this invention is directed to a composition comprising noribogaine wherein at least 95% of the noribogaine is present as the 2(R), 4(S), 5(S), 6(S) and 18(R) enantiomer and further wherein said composition comprises not more than 0.3 wt % ibogaine contamination relative to the total amount of noribogaine.

In some embodiments, the amount of ibogaine contained in the noribogaine compositions is not more than 0.1 wt % ibogaine relative to the total amount of noribogaine.

In some embodiments, at least 98%, preferably, at least 99%, and more preferably, at least 99.5%, of the noribogaine is present as the 2(R), 4(S), 5(S), 6(S) and 18(R) enantiomer.

In some embodiments, the noribogaine of this invention is bound to a solid support optionally through a cleavable linker. The solid support could be a resin or a bead.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

This invention is directed to compositions comprising noribogaine and, in particular, compositions comprising highly pure noribogaine as the 2(R), 4(S), 5(S), 6(S) and 18(R) enantiomer. However, prior to describing this invention in greater detail, the following terms will first be defined.

It is to be understood that this invention is not limited to particular embodiments described, as such may, of course, vary. It is also to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only, and is not intended to be limiting, since the scope of the present invention will be limited only by the appended claims.

It must be noted that as used herein and in the appended claims, the singular forms “a”, “an”, and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to “a pharmaceutically acceptable excipient” includes a plurality of such excipients.

Definitions

Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. As used herein the following terms have the following meanings.

As used herein, the term “comprising” or “comprises” is intended to mean that the compositions and methods include the recited elements, but not excluding others. “Consisting essentially of” when used to define compositions and methods, shall mean excluding other elements of any essential significance to the combination for the stated purpose. Thus, a composition consisting essentially of the elements as defined herein would not exclude other materials or steps that do not materially affect the basic and novel characteristic(s) of the claimed invention. “Consisting of” shall mean excluding more than trace elements of other ingredients and substantial method steps. Embodiments defined by each of these transition terms are within the scope of this invention.

As used herein, the term “noribogaine” refers to the alkaloid noribogaine including all enantiomers thereof, and also includes pharmaceutically acceptable salts of each thereof. Of particular interest is the enantiomer depicted by the formula:

where the configuration at the 2, 4, 5, 6 and 18 atoms are 2(R), 4(S), 5(S), 6(S) and 18(R).

The term “solid support” refers to a material having a rigid or semi-rigid surface which contains or can be derivatized to contain reactive functionality which covalently links noribogaine to the surface thereof through a cleavable linker. Such materials are well known in the art and include, by way of example, silica, synthetic silicates, biogenic silicates, porous glass, hydrogels, silicate-containing minerals, synthetic polymers, polystyrene, polypropylene, polyacrylamide, polyethylene glycol, polyacrylamide and copolymers thereof including copolymers of polystyrene/polyethylene glycol and polyacrylamide/polyethylene glycol, and the like. Other nonlimiting examples of solid supports include anion exchange resins. Such resins contain a bound positively charged group and exchange anions. Nonlimiting examples of anion exchange resins include, AMBERLITE® Type I, AMBERLITE® Type II, DOWEX® Type I, and DOWEX® Type II, anion exchange resins.

As used herein, the terms “cleavable linking groups” refer to linking groups, which are a chemical group or a covalent bond which covalently attaches at one end to a solid support and at the other end to noribogaine. At least one of the covalent bonds of the cleavable linking group which attaches noribogaine to the solid support can be readily broken by specific chemical or enzymatic reactions, thereby providing for noribogaine free of the solid support. The chemical or enzymatic reactions employed to break the covalent bond of the linking arm are selected so as to be specific for bond breakage thereby preventing unintended reactions occurring elsewhere on the compound. The cleavable linking group is selected relative to noribogaine formed on the solid support so as to prevent premature cleavage of noribogaine from the solid support as well as not to interfere with any of the procedures employed during synthesis on the support. Suitable cleavable linking groups are well known in the art, and may include such groups as carbonate groups, carbamate groups, amide groups, and the like. In a preferred embodiment, the cleavable linking group contains no more than 10 atoms. More preferably, the cleavable linker contains from 1 to 4 carbon atoms and from 2 to 4 heteroatoms selected from oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur, S(O) and S(O)₂.

As used herein, the term “reaction conditions” refers to details under which a chemical reaction proceeds. Examples of reaction conditions include, but are not limited to, one or more of following: reaction temperature, solvent, pH, pressure, reaction time, mole ratio of reactants, the presence of a base or acid, or catalyst, etc. Reaction conditions for known reactions are generally known to those skilled in the art.

As used herein, the term “reducing agent” refers to a reagent which can donate electrons in an oxidation-reduction reaction, allowing hydrogen to be added to a molecule. Suitable reducing agents include lithium aluminum hydride, sodium borohydride, sodium cyanoborohydride, and the like.

As used herein, the term “reductive amination conditions” refers to the reaction between an amine and a carbonyl compound to form an imine, which is subsequently reduced to an amine using a reducing agent. The intermediate imine can either be isolated and purified prior to the reducing step, or used in the reducing step without prior isolation or purification.

As used herein, the term “pharmaceutically acceptable salt” refers to pharmaceutically acceptable, non toxic, salts derived from a variety of organic and inorganic counter ions well known in the art and include, by way of example only, when the molecule contains an acidic functionality, counter ions such as sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, ammonium, tetraalkylammonium, and the like, and when the molecule contains a basic functionality, counter ions such as chloride, bromide, tartrate, mesylate, acetate, maleate, oxalate and the like.

As used herein, the term “protecting group” or “Pg” refers to well known functional groups which, when bound to a functional group, render the resulting protected functional group inert to the reaction conditions to be conducted on other portions of the compound and which, at the appropriate time, can be reacted to regenerate the original functionality under “deprotection conditions”. The identity of the protecting group is not critical and is selected to be compatible with the remainder of the molecule. In one embodiment, the protecting group is an “amino protecting group” which protects the amino functionality of ibogaine or noribogaine during the reactions described herein. Examples of conventional amino protecting groups include, for instance, benzyl, acetyl, oxyacetyl, carbonyloxybenzyl (Cbz), and the like. In another embodiment, the protecting group is a “hydroxy protecting group” which protects the hydroxyl functionality of noribogaine. Examples of hydroxyl protecting groups include, for instance, benzyl, p-methoxybenzyl, p-nitrobenzyl, allyl, trityl, dialkylsilylethers, such as dimethylsilyl ether, and trialkylsilyl ethers such as trimethylsilyl ether, triethylsilyl ether, and t-butyldimethylsilyl ether; esters such as benzoyl, acetyl, phenylacetyl, formyl, mono-, di-, and trihaloacetyl such as chloroacetyl, dichloroacetyl, trichloroacetyl, trifluoroacetyl; and carbonates such as methyl, ethyl, 2,2,2-trichloroethyl, allyl, benzyl, and p-nitrophenyl. Additional examples of hydroxy protecting groups may be found in standard reference works such as Greene and Wuts, Protective Groups in Organic Synthesis., 2d Ed., 1991, John Wiley & Sons, and McOmie Protective Groups in Organic Chemistry, 1975, Plenum Press. Methods for protecting and deprotecting the phenolic hydroxyl group of the compounds disclosed herein can be found in the art, and specifically in Greene and Wuts, supra, and the references cited therein.

Preparation of Noribogaine Substantially Free of Ibogaine

Noribogaine compositions of this invention can be prepared from ibogaine. Noribogaine containing not more than 0.5% ppm ibogaine can be prepared using solid support synthesis as described below. As this compound is prepared from the natural product ibogaine and since the reactions described below do not involve any of the stereochemical centers, noribogaine so prepared will be least 95% of the 2(R), 4(S), 5(S), 6(S) and 18(R) enantiomer and likely to be 100% of that enantiomer.

In the case of solid support synthesis of noribogaine, the noribogaine compositions of this invention can be prepared from readily available starting materials using the following general methods and procedures. It will be appreciated that where typical or preferred process conditions (i.e., reaction temperatures, times, mole ratios of reactants, solvents, pressures, etc.) are given, other process conditions can also be used unless otherwise stated. Optimum reaction conditions may vary with the particular reactants or solvent used, but such conditions can be determined by one skilled in the art by routine optimization procedures.

Additionally, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, conventional protecting groups may be necessary to prevent certain functional groups from undergoing undesired reactions. Suitable protecting groups for various functional groups as well as suitable conditions for protecting and deprotecting particular functional groups are well known in the art. For example, numerous protecting groups are described in T. W. Greene and G. M. Wuts, Protecting Groups in Organic Synthesis, Fourth Edition, Wiley, N.Y., 2007, and references cited therein.

It is contemplated that noribogaine can be prepared and/or purified from ibogaine by utilizing solid support as shown in the following Schemes, where PG represents an amine protecting group, LG represents a leaving group (e.g. a halo or a mesylate, tosylate, or such other group), L represents a cleavable linking group (e.g. a carbonyl compound such as a carbonate or carbamate) and the shaded circle represents a solid support.

In the following Schemes, the O-demethylation of the aryl methoxy group to yield the corresponding phenol can be accomplishing using any suitable method known in the art. Suitable reagents include a Lewis acid (e.g. BBr₃, AlCl₃), a nucleophile (e.g. RS—, N₃—, SCN—), NaCN at high pH (e.g. pH 12), and the like. In some embodiments, the O-demethylation should be performed without affecting the linkage to the solid support or altering the stereochemistry of the stereochemical centers on the molecule. Suitable reagents can be readily ascertained by one of skill in the art and can be found, for example, in T. W. Greene and G. M. Wuts, Protecting Groups in Organic Synthesis, Fourth Edition, Wiley, N.Y., 2007 (see, e.g., the reactivity charts at pages 1006-1008 and 1022-1032), and references cited therein.

Noribogaine 5 can be prepared and purified from ibogaine 10 by any one of the routes shown in Scheme 1. Noribogaine, compound 5, is differentiated from ibogaine by virtue of the fact that the methoxy group of ibogaine is converted to a hydroxyl group in noribogaine. In one embodiment, the indole amine of ibogaine can be protected using an amine protecting group to yield compound 1, followed by either tandem O-demethylation and removal of the protecting group using L-SELECTRIDE®, for example, or sequential O-demethylation and removal of the protecting group to yield noribogaine 5. In addition, in one embodiment, noribogaine can be directly prepared and purified from the O-demethylation of ibogaine using methods known in the art and then purified by appending noribogaine to a solid support (compound 12 or 13), washing contaminants, cleaving the linking group L, and recovering the noribogaine 5. In the above syntheses, one or more of the noribogaine or intermediates shown above can be purified using standard purification techniques known in the art (e.g. column chromatography, HPLC, and the like). Compounds of formula 11 are commercially available or can be synthesized in one or two steps from commercially available starting materials (see, e.g. commercially available resins from Sigma-Aldrich®).

In another embodiment, noribogaine can be prepared and purified from ibogaine in the manner described in Scheme 2 below:

wherein Pg is hydrogen or an amino protecting group and the shaded circle represents a solid support.

Specifically, in Scheme 2, amino protected ibogaine, compound 1, is contacted with boron tribromide or other conventional demethylating agent in e.g., methylene chloride using conditions well known in the art to yield the amino protected noribogaine, compound 2.

In Scheme 2, attachment of amino protected noribogaine, compound 2, to a solid support is accomplished by use of a chloroformate/solid support, compound 3, under conventional conditions to yield compound 4 wherein the carbonate group is shown for illustrative purposes only as the cleavable linking group. Other cleavable linking groups can likewise be used in Scheme 2. As amino protected ibogaine does not contain a functional group reactive with compound 3, only amino protected noribogaine, compound 2, will react with the solid support and yield compound 4. Repeated washing of compound 4 will remove a portion of amino protected ibogaine contaminating the sample of amino protected noribogaine used in this reaction. Furthermore, at any time, a small portion of the solid support can be removed to provide a sample of noribogaine (after cleavage and deprotection). The sample can then be analyzed for purity relative to any ibogaine present by conventional methods such as GC/MS, NMR, C¹³-NMR, etc.

Upon achieving the desired level of purity of noribogaine relative to any contaminating ibogaine, noribogaine, can be recovered from the solid support by cleavage of the cleavable linker and subsequent deprotection of the amino group. Both cleavage and deprotection are well known in the art.

As desired, exceptionally pure noribogaine, compound 5, can be obtained by repeating the process of forming the amino protected noribogaine, compound 2, binding compound 2 to a solid support via the hydroxyl group of amino protected noribogaine and washing a portion of contaminating ibogaine from the solid support. By repeating this process as often as necessary and preferably no more than 5 times, it is contemplated that noribogaine compositions having not more than 0.5 wt %, not more than 0.3 wt %, or not more than 0.1 wt % ibogaine relative to the amount of noribogaine present in the composition can be prepared.

In another embodiment, the solid support is an anion exchange resin, where noribogaine is ionically bound thereto. Such a resin allows uncharged ibogaine to pass through by simple elution. Nonlimiting examples of anion exchange resins include solid supports, preferably those derivatized with quaternary ammonium containing moieties, such as trialkylbenzyl ammonium containing moieties. Suitable trialkylbenzyl ammonium groups include trimethylbenzyl ammonium, dimethyl-2-hydroxyethylbenzyl ammonium, and the like. Nonlimiting examples of commercially available anion exchange resins include AMBERLITE® Type I, AMBERLITE® Type II, DOWEX® Type I, and DOWEX® Type II, anion exchange resins. Recovery of noribogaine by pH adjustment is known to one well-versed in the art.

Alternatively, noribogaine hydrochloride was prepared from ibogaine hydrochloride by first converting it to a free base, ibogaine, by treating with methanol followed by treatment with a base such as potassium carbonate in a solvent such as methylene chloride. Ibogaine was then converted to noribogaine hydrobromide by treating with boron tribromide or other conventional demethylating agent in a solvent such as methylene chloride followed by quenching with methanol to give noribogaine hydrobromide. Noribogaine hydrobromide was then converted to the free base by treating with a base such as potassium carbonate in a solvent such as methylene chloride, followed by purification over silica, and then by conversion to the hydrochloride salt using HCl in a solvent such as isopropanol as shown in Scheme 3 below.

Another method of demethylating is also contemplated as shown in Scheme 4 below.

Use of BCl₃ instead of BBr₃ for removing the methyl ether is contemplated to have several advantages. For example, it provides the noribogaine hydrochloride in one step, without having to convert the noribogaine hydrobromide obtained, when BBr₃ is used, into the hydrochloride salt. Furthermore, it is contemplated that using BCl₃ substantially reduces the halogenation of the aromatic ring as obtained when BBr₃ is used.

In one embodiment, the amount of ibogaine in a noribogaine composition can be determined by starting with a ¹⁴C enriched methoxy group on ibogaine. The amount of ¹⁴C over background in the final composition can be correlated to the amount of ibogaine in the noribogaine composition which can then be used to validate that the synthetic protocols employed are at or below the maximum amount of ibogaine permitted in the noribogaine composition. A ¹⁴C enriched methoxy group on ibogaine can readily be prepared by methylating the 12-hydroxyl group of noribogaine with an enriched ¹⁴C methylating agent. Techniques for determining the amount of a ¹⁴C in a composition are well known in the art and detection limits are below 1 ppt.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many modifications of the above exemplary methods, both to materials and methods, may be practiced without departing from the scope of the current invention.

The following synthetic and biological examples are offered to illustrate this invention and are not to be construed in any way as limiting the scope of this invention. Unless otherwise stated, all temperatures are in degrees Celsius.

Compositions of Noribogaine

This invention provides noribogaine compositions which are enantiomerically enriched and substantially free of ibogaine.

In one embodiment, this invention provides a composition comprising noribogaine wherein at least 95% of the noribogaine is present as the 2(R), 4(S), 5(S), 6(S) and 18(R) enantiomer and further wherein said composition comprises not more than 0.5 wt % ibogaine relative to the total amount of noribogaine. In another embodiment, said composition comprises not more than 0.3 wt % ibogaine relative to the total amount of noribogaine. In another embodiment, said composition comprises not more than 0.1 wt % ibogaine relative to the total amount of noribogaine.

In another embodiment, this invention provides a composition comprising noribogaine wherein at least 98% of the noribogaine is present as the 2(R), 4(S), 5(S), 6(S) and 18(R) enantiomer and further wherein said composition comprises not more than 0.5 wt % ibogaine relative to the total amount of noribogaine. In another embodiment, this invention provides a composition comprising noribogaine wherein at least 98% of the noribogaine is present as the 2(R), 4(S), 5(S), 6(S) and 18(R) enantiomer and further wherein said composition comprises not more than 0.3 wt % ibogaine relative to the total amount of noribogaine. In another embodiment, said composition comprises not more than 0.1 wt % ibogaine relative to the total amount of noribogaine.

EXAMPLES

In the examples below, the abbreviations have their generally accepted meaning.

Example 1—Synthesis and Purification of Noribogaine from Ibogaine

Example 1 illustrates one method for the synthesis and purification of noribogaine from ibogaine which method follows Scheme 5 below:

Specifically, in Scheme 5, ibogaine is contacted with a stoichiometric excess of benzyl chloroformate in an inert solvent such as methylene chloride. The reaction mixture further contains at least a stoichiometric equivalent of diisopropylethylamine relative to ibogaine so as to scavenge the acid generated during the reaction. The reaction is maintained at room temperature under an inert atmosphere until the reaction is substantially complete as evidenced by, for example, thin layer chromatography. At which time, an O-demethylation reagent (e.g. boron tribromide or aluminum trichloride), or preferably a stoichiometric excess thereof, is added to the reaction mixture which is then maintained under conditions (e.g. room temperature) wherein the methoxy group of ibogaine has been converted to the hydroxyl group of noribogaine.

The hydroxyl group generated above is then employed as a complementary functionality for attachment of a solid support. In particular, an excess of chloroformate bound to a solid support is combined with N-CBz-noribogaine under conventional conditions wherein a carbonate bond is formed. Chloroformate bound to a solid support can be prepared from a hydroxy-bearing polymer support (e.g. hydroxymethyl)polystyrene or polymer-bound benzyl alcohol, both commercially available from Sigma-Aldrich®) and carbonyl dichloride. As CBz-ibogaine does not readily react under these O-demethylation conditions, it will remain in the solution phase of the reaction mixture and can be washed from the reaction mixture by conventional techniques including placing the solid support into a column and passing excess solvent through the column.

In one particular example, 1 kg of solid support containing CBz-noribogaine is loaded onto a column. The stopper of the column is partially opened so that a flow rate through the column of 0.5 liters per hour is maintained. Methylene chloride is continuously fed to the top of the column and recovered at the base of the column. The recovered methylene chloride is removed to provide residual CBz-ibogaine. A portion of the solid support is then loaded into a hydrogenation vessel together with methanol and a catalytic amount of palladium on carbon. Hydrogenation is continued under elevated pressure for approximately 5 hours. The reaction is then stopped and the methanol recovered and removed, thus yielding noribogaine. Additional purification of noribogaine can be achieved by HPLC as desired.

Example 2—Synthesis and Purification of Noribogaine Hydrochloride from Ibogaine Hydrochloride

Step 1. Purification of Crude Ibogaine Hydrochloride and Release of Ibogaine Free Base from the Purified Material

A 10 L flange reactor was charged under nitrogen with ibogaine (428.5 g) and ethanol (4.30 L). The resulting suspension was heated to 65-75° C. for 1 h 20 minutes and allowed to cool to room temperature under stirring overnight. A pale buff suspension was obtained. The solid was collected by filtration and washed with methylene chloride (DCM, 2×0.5 L). The filter cake was dried under nitrogen until of constant weight (279 g). The solid was stored under nitrogen and in exclusion of light for 5 days. In-process control (IPC) by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) showed ibogaine (97.38%), ibogamine (2.31%) and ibogaline (0.31%). The filtrates were concentrated in vacuum to dryness to afford a pale brown solid (72 g). IPC by HPLC showed ibogaine (59.49%), ibogamine (17.31%), ibogaline (20.12%) and unknowns (total 3.04%). The purified ibogaine hydrochloride (279 g, 97.38%) was suspended under nitrogen in DCM (2.85L). 25 Wt % aqueous potassium carbonate solution (470 ml) was added and the phases were mixed vigorously for 10 minutes. The phases were separated. The aqueous layer was extracted with further DCM (2×720 ml). The aqueous layer was discarded. The combined organic phases were washed with water (0.73 L), split into two almost equal portions and concentrated in vacuum at 50° C. to afford a pale brown foam. The foam was dried under vacuum to constant weight. IPC by HPLC showed ibogaine (93.15%), ibogamine (2.28%), ibogaline (0.31%) and unknowns (total 4.26%).

Step 2. Conversion of Ibogaine Free Base to Noribogaine Hydrobromide

A 3 L flange flask fitted with a thermometer, gas bubbler, overhead stirrer, Schott addition bottle and scrubber was charged under nitrogen atmosphere with methylene chloride (400 ml) and BBr₃ in methylene chloride (1 M, 368 ml). The mixture was cooled to 0-5° C. under stirring. A Schott bottle was charged with ibogaine free base (75 g, MLR/629/73-1) and methylene chloride (300 ml) to afford a pale brown solution. The bottle was purged with nitrogen, covered in foil and connected to the flange reactor via a pressure addition line. The solution was added slowly to the reactor over 110 minutes. Upon addition, a suspension was formed. When the addition was complete, the reactor content was allowed to warm up to room temperature overnight. The mixture was cooled to 0-5° C. and quenched with methanol, allowed to warm up to room temperature and stirred overnight. The solid was collected by filtration, washed with DCM and dried (yield: 81%).

It is contemplated that the reaction of ibogaine free base with BBr₃ gives a brominated side product, the formation of which can be avoided by using BCl₃ instead of BBr₃ which directly gives the corresponding HCl salt.

Step 3. Conversion of Noribogaine Hydrobromide to Noribogaine Hydrochloride

A 10 L flange separating funnel fitted with a nitrogen inlet, gas bubbler, overhead stirrer, thermometer and dropping funnel was charged noribogaine hydrobromide (214.35 g), MeOH (1.95 L) and methylene chloride (4.18 L) to afford a suspension. Under stirring and nitrogen atmosphere K₂CO₃ (234 g, 3.0 eq) dissolved in water (1.65 L) was added over one hour. During the addition the internal temperature rose from 18.9° C. to 23.2° C. Stirring was continued until a two phase system was obtained. The lower organic phase was separated. The upper aqueous phase was extracted with methylene chloride (2×1.46 L). The combined organic phases were washed with water (1×1.95 L). The organic layer was split into two portions, each portion was and concentrated in vacuo to dryness to afford a pale brown solid (1×88.9 g, 1×79.3). The solids were and subjected to a chromatographic purification using flash silica gel (7.20 kg, 43 wt eq.) eluting with methylene chloride/acetonitrile/triethylamine (1:1:0.5); a total of 16 fractions (5 L each) were collected of which fractions 5-16 showed desired product by TLC and HPLC. Based on the results of use test work for the salt formation, fractions 7-11 were combined and concentrated to dryness to afford a beige-colored solid (136 g). The solid was charged to a 5 L flange flask fitted with a nitrogen inlet, gas bubbler, overhead stirrer, dropping funnel and thermometer. Isopropanol (3.27 L) was added and the mixture was heated under stirring and nitrogen atmosphere to 45-55° C. over one hour to afford a clear solution. Isopropanol/HCl (5 M, 128.6 ml, 1.4 eq) was added over one hour. Precipitation of an off-white solid was observed and the suspension was allowed to cool under stirring to room temperature overnight. The mixture was further chilled to 0-5° C. After 30 minutes the solid was collected by filtration and washed with dichloromethane (2×0.49 L) and sucked dry to constant weight under nitrogen purge. The solid was further dried under vacuum at 60° C. for four days.

The yield Noribogaine free base was 168.2 g (99%), that of noribogaine free base (purified) was 136 g, (81%), and that of noribogaine hydrochloride was 150 g, (98%). The overall yield (based on the steps of free base formation, purification, and salt formation) was 79%. Analytical results were as follows. Pre final drying there was noribogaine hydrochloride (99.3%), a by-product (0.5%), and ibogaine (0.1%). After 3 days drying, there was noribogaine hydrochloride (99.10%), the by-product (0.33%), ibogaine (0.07%), ibogamine (0.08%), and unknowns (total 0.42%). Another batch gave noribogaine hydrochloride (99.34%), ibogaine (0.02%), ibogamine (<0.01%), and ibogaline (0.02%).

The above process demonstrates that noribogaine substantially free of ibogaine is prepared according to this invention. While this process provides noribogaine that is substantially free of ibogaine, a small amount of ibogaine, approximately 0.02 wt % or 200 ppm relative to noribogaine, was still observed in the noribogaine thus prepared via ibogaine. 

1.-12. (canceled)
 13. Noribogaine or a salt thereof prepared from ibogaine, wherein at least 95% of the noribogaine is its 2(R), 4(S), 5(S), 6(S), and 18(R) enantiomer and no more than 0.5 wt % of the total amount of noribogaine and ibogaine present is ibogaine.
 14. The noribogaine or salt thereof according to claim 13, wherein the noribogaine or salt thereof is prepared by a method comprising demethylating ibogaine in solvent using a Lewis acid followed by quenching, to obtain the noribogaine or said salt thereof.
 15. The noribogaine or salt thereof according to claim 13, wherein the noribogaine or salt thereof is prepared from ibogaine by a method comprising forming amine-protected ibogaine, demethylating said amine-protected ibogaine in solvent using a Lewis acid to form amine-protected noribogaine and deprotecting said amine-protected noribogaine to obtain the noribogaine or said salt thereof.
 16. The noribogaine or salt thereof according to claim 13, wherein the noribogaine or salt thereof is prepared from ibogaine by a method comprising forming amine-protected ibogaine, demethylating said amine-protected ibogaine in solvent using a Lewis acid to form amine-protected noribogaine, appending said amine-protected noribogaine to a solid support, removing the amine-protecting group from the amine-protected noribogaine and removing the resulting noribogaine from said solid support.
 17. The noribogaine or salt thereof according to claim 14, wherein said Lewis acid is boron tribromide or boron trichloride.
 18. The noribogaine or salt thereof according to claim 14, wherein said Lewis acid is boron trichloride.
 19. The noribogaine or salt thereof according to claim 14, wherein said Lewis acid is boron tribromide.
 20. The noribogaine or salt thereof according to claim 15, wherein said Lewis acid is boron tribromide or boron trichloride.
 21. The noribogaine or salt thereof according to claim 15, wherein said Lewis acid is boron trichloride.
 22. The noribogaine or salt thereof according to claim 15, wherein said Lewis acid is boron tribromide.
 23. The noribogaine or salt thereof according to claim 16, wherein said Lewis acid is boron tribromide or boron trichloride.
 24. The noribogaine or salt thereof according to claim 16, wherein said Lewis acid is boron trichloride.
 25. The noribogaine or salt thereof according to claim 16, wherein said Lewis acid is boron tribromide.
 26. The noribogaine or salt thereof according to claim 13, wherein the noribogaine is in the form of its hydrochloride salt.
 27. The noribogaine or salt thereof according to claim 13, at least 98% of the noribogaine is the 2(R), 4(S), 5(S), 6(S), and 18(R) enantiomer.
 28. The noribogaine or salt thereof according to claim 13, wherein the amount of ibogaine present is not more than 0.1 wt %.
 29. A composition comprising noribogaine or a salt thereof and ibogaine, wherein at least 95% of the noribogaine is its 2(R), 4(S), 5(S), 6(S), and 18(R) enantiomer and wherein said composition comprises no more than 0.5 wt % ibogaine of the total amount of noribogaine and ibogaine in the composition.
 30. The composition according to claim 29, wherein the noribogaine or salt thereof is in solid farm.
 31. The composition according to claim 29, further comprising isopropanol.
 32. The composition according to claim 29, wherein the noribogaine is in the form of its hydrochloride salt. 